In
autumn of 2012, DOX is hosting an exhibition based on the
collection of Julius
Hummel. Viennese
Actionism
fought for individual freedom and its movement contributed to
greater
interpersonal and sexual tolerance. To this day the cultural
shock caused by
their rebellion against baroque Catholicism and the sacred
family can still be
felt.

The work of the four main protagonists of Viennese
Actionism - Otto Muehl, Hermann Nitsch, Rudolf Schwarzkogler a Günter Brus -
would not have been possible without its preceding and contemporary influences. Surrounded by a repressed political past, both men
and women
were seeking to explore the experience of the highs and lows
of "being
human" against the hypocrisy towards sentiments and drang.

The
women’s attempts to bring about changes in the revolutionary
1960s mostly
remained unknown, nevertheless they contributed to Actionism
through their
choices of companion and with their personal physical
commitment. The
share
of the feminine and androgynous, which is both consciously and
unconsciously present in the work of the Actionists before the
concept of
gender as we know it today has been established, forms Julius
Hummel’s
selection for this exhibition– providing
the opportunity to
newly examine the effort and outcome of the
contributions within the Viennese Actionism both in the field
of art and within
contemporary society.